Apparatus for elevating contact material



May 8, 1956 J. F. M KINNEY, JR

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING CONTACT MATERIAL Filed Sept. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN F. M KINNEY, JR.

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ATTORNEYS May 8, 1956 J. F. M KlNNEY, JR

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING CONTACT MATERIAL Filed Sept. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIXVENTOR. JOHN F. M K|NNEY,JR

ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FER ELEVATING C(INT ACT MATERIAL John F. McKinney, Jr., Swartlimore', Pa., assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 13, 1950, Serial No. 184,601

Claims. (Cl. 302-53) This invention relates to a system and apparatus for moving pneumatically granular or pelleted contact mate rial or catalyst from a lower receptacle which receives the material in a continuous stream upwardly into and through an elongate conduit to an upper receptacle. In particular the invention is directed to the method of an apparatus for supplying gas or air to the material in the lower receptacle in order to convey it therefrom to and through the elongate conduit in such a manner as to reduce attrition of the material particles or pellets to a minimum during its passage to the upper receptacle.

It is well known in the art of catalysis, such as the cracking of heavier petroleum fractions to gasoline and other hydrocarbon processing operations, to use a catalytic or contact material in a continuous system. In such continuous systems a conversion zone is operated simultaneously with a second zone which is in regeneration. Most commercial moving or continuous catalyst systems have the conversion zone and regeneration zone in superposed relationship with the conversion zone usually above the regeneration zone so that the catalyst or contact material moves through the conversion zone to the regeneration zone by gravity and after regeneration it is carried upwardly and returned to the conversion zone to repeat the cycle of operation. To return the catalyst or contact material from the lower regenerating zone to the upper conversion zone two well known means applicable to the transportation of granular solids from one locus to another have been used, namely: by mechanical conveyors and by pneumatic conveyors, in the latter of which air, steam or flue gas produced at the refinery is readily available as the penumatic lifting medium.

It is necessary in systems employing conversion and regeneration zones in superposed relationship to convey the catalyst or contact material which is usualy in pelleted or granular form through a conduit several hundred feet in length in order to return it from the lower reaction zone to the upper reaction zone. From the lower reaction zone the material is delivered by gravity to a receptacle positioned at a level below that of the lower reaction zone, from which receptacle it is designed to effect or begin the lifting or upward conveying operation. In a pneumatic lifting system this lowermost receptacle is generally known in the art as an engager since the material is engaged therein by the lifting flue gas or air to effect the lifting operation. The lower end of the air lift conduit extends into or is in communication with the engager receptacle While the upper end of the lift conduit communicates with an upper receptacle positioned at a level above the top of the upper reaction zone or chamber. The upper receptacle is designed so that the lifting medium is separated from the catalyst or contact material and is generally known as the disengager.

The present invention involves a new Way of conveying the catalyst, and at the same time introducing a high velocity lifting fluid, to the lower end of the lift conunit, so that the catalyst, after its conveyance to the lift conduit, will be conveyed by the lifting fluid upward Patented May 8, 1956 ice through the lift conduit in a manner to reduce attrition of the catalyst to a minimum.

A complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the application in which:

Figure l is an elevational view for schematically showing a typical catalytic cracking system employing a gas lift for catalyst elevation.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevationshowing the invention as applied to the engager portion of the system.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modification of the engager portion of the system.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, which shows diagrammatically the conventional elements of a continuous system, a lower receptacle or chamber 10 functions as a catalyst engaging zone, that is, a zone whereinthe catalyst is engaged by the air, flue gas or steam supplied thereto by means of a lower conduit 11 extending upwardly into the chamber 10 and an upper conduit 12 for supplying fluid to the upper end of the engaging chamber for exerting pressure on the material in the chamber. The lift pipe or elevating conduit is indicated at 13 and has its lower end positioned within the chamber 10 and its upper end positioned within an upper chamber 14 which is a disengaging chamber or zone wherein catalyst is disengaged from the air or other medium which lifts the catalyst upwardly through conduit 13 into the disengaging zone. The lifting medium is discharged from the upper chamber 14 through a conduit 15 and is passed to any conventional separating means such as a cyclone separator 16 having an upper conduit 17 in communication therewith to remove the lifting medium and a lower conduit 18 for removing any fines which had been entrained in the lifting medium.

The catalyst which remains in the disengager 14 is returned by gravity to an upper reaction chamber 19 wherein usually an on-stream reaction is effected to obtain the desired product and continues to flow by gravity into a lower reaction chamber 20 wherein the catalyst or contact material is regenerated to remove therefrom any deposits which might have been formed in the upper chamber 19. From the lower chamber 20 catalyst or contact material continues to flow by gravity and is returned to the engaging chamber 10. The conduits 21, 22 and 23 through which the catalyst or contact material flows in returning from the disengager 14 to the engager 10 are usually provided with means for supplying steam or gaseous purging medium thereto in order to prevent reaction products formed in chamber 19 and regeneration fumes formed in chamber 20 from communicating with the other chambers in the unit.

In Figures 2 and 3 wherein details of the engager and air lift conduit are shown an arrangement is provided for supplying air at a common level within the body of contact material so that equal pressure is exerted in the catalyst bed circumferentially thereof in order to force the catalyst upwardly into an annular space adjacent the lower end of the catalyst air lift conduit. Cooperating with this air supply is an inner annular space positioned adjacent and concentrically within the catalyst annular space and also an outer annular air space is provided in order that air supplied to both the inner and outer annular air spaces adjacent the annular catalyst space will be directed upwardly to the top of the annular catalyst space to in efiect lift the catalyst from its annular space and carry it upwardly into the air lift conduit. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, adjacent the annular catalyst space is an enlarged annular space which extends a short distance thereabove below the main air lift conduit section. The enlarged annular space is formed in a manner that it tapers outwardly between the annular catalyst space and the main section of the air lift conduit in order to provide a zone which permits the catalyst to be lifted into the main section of the air lift conduit with a minimum of attrition of the contact material particles.

In the detailed description of the drawings the lifting fluid will be considered to be air and the elevating conduit will be considered an air lift conduit while catalyst will be the material being lifted.

Referring to Figures 2, indicates generally the air and catalyst engager while 31 indicates the air lift conduit. At its lower end the air lift conduit is provided with a thickened wall portion 32 terminating at its upper end in a tapered portion 33. Positioned centrally of the conduit is an elongate cylindrical deflecting member 34 which terminates in a tapered upper end 35. The tapered portion of the conduit lower end and the tapered portion of the elongate member 34 terminate generally at a common level upwardly of the conduit 31 providing therebelow a confined zone or enlarged annular space between the catalyst annulus 45 and the main section of air lift conduit 31. An air supply conduit 11 extends through the bottom of the engager 3G and has its open upper end positioned a short distance within the lower end of the air lift conduit 31 while the lower end of the cylindrical member 34 provides with the upper end of the conduit 11 an annular air space 37. A sleeve 38 extends through the top of the engager 3t) and has its upper end 39 closed while the sleeve extends downwardly in spaced relation with the outer wall of the air lift conduit 31 providing a space 40 therewith. The lower end of the sleeve is turned inwardly at 41 and upwardly at 42 providing with the lower end 32 of the air lift conduit 31 a channel portion 43 and an outer air annulus 44.

The upper open end of conduit 11 provides with the upturned end 42 of the sleeve 38 a space 45 which is in direct communication with the catalyst C within the engager 10 and for the purpose of explaining the invention the space 45 is considered a catalyst annulus while the outer annulus 44 and the inner annulus 37 will be considered air annuli. At 46 is indicated an air pocket formed by a sleeve 47 having a closed upper end 48 and an open lower end 49 which is in direct communication with the catalyst C within the engager. It will be understood, of course, that the air pocket could be positioned below the air lift conduit to effect upward pressure on the bed of material.

Low velocity fluid is supplied to space 46 by conduit 50 and flows directly to the contact material to force it downwardly and then upwardly through the catalyst annulus 45. This fluid will have a velocity of approximately only 10 feet per second. High velocity fluid is supplied to the space 40 through conduit 51 and flows downwardly to the channel 43 and then upwardly through the outer air annulus 44. Another stream of high velocity fluid is supplied through conduit 11 and flows The velocity of both the streams of high velocity fluid will be upwardly of 300 feet per second and they function to lift the material upwardly into the lift conduit as the material passes out of the annulus 45. As the material continues to move upwardly of the lift conduit the velocity will progressively increase until it reaches the upper vessel.

The air supplied to the space 46 provides an arrangement wherein equal pressure is exerted circumferentially on the main body of the catalyst which results in the forcing of catalyst upwardly through the annulus 45 at an equal rate therein while the air supplied to the inner and outer annuli 37 and 44 respectively picks up the catalyst from the annulus 45 and lifts it upwardly into the lift pipe 31.

The cylindrical member 34 cooperates with the thickened lower end 32 of conduit 31 to provide a confined space into which the catalyst from annulus 45 is directed in order to provide a zone of high velocity and increase the rate of acceleration upwardly of the catalyst through this zone until the catalyst is lifted into the main section of the air lift conduit 31 thus providing an arrangement for preventing eddying or turbulence of the contact material in this zone and thereby reducing attrition of the material in this zone.

As has been explained in connection with Figure 1, catalyst passes continuously through conduit 23 into the engager lit and the details of the figure just described are to efiect the lifting operation of the catalyst therefrom upwardly to the disengager 14.

Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement for conveying the catalyst upwardly and operates in a manner similar -to that described in connection with Figure 2 but differs therefrom in details. The air lift conduit is indicated at 60 and terminates at its lower end in an annular chamber 61 having an apertured area 62 therein at the upper end of the chamber. The apertured area may be a slot or a series of apertures. An air supply conduit 63 extends upwardly through the bottom of engager 64 and has its upper open end flared at 65 and positioned in spaced relation with the inner wall of chamber 61 providing therewith an annular space 66 which is in direct communication with the body of contact material in the engager 64 and this annulus functions as a catalyst annulus through which the catalyst is lifted into the main body of the lift conduit 60. A cup-shaped deflector 67 is fixed in spaced relation with the flared portion 65 of conduit 63 providing therewith an annular space 68 disposed concentrically and interiorally of the catalyst annulus 66.

A sleeve 70 having a closed upper end extends through the top of the engager 64 providing with the air lift con duit 60 an air space 71 and at its lower end is open to be in direct communication with the catalyst in the engager. Air is supplied at low velocity to the space 71 through conduit 72 and passes directly down through the space and in contact with the body of catalyst or at a point adjacent the bottom of the air lift conduit 60 which exerts pressure directly on the material to force it upwardly into the annulus 66. Air is supplied to the chamber 61 through a plurality of conduits 73 at high velocity to pass directly into the air lift conduit at a point adjacent the upper end of the catalyst annulus 66. Air is also supplied through conduit 63 for passage upwardly therethrough and through the annular space 68 to cooperate with the air from the chamber 61 in lifting or picking up the contact material from the catalyst annulus 66 into the air lift conduit.

The rate of supply of air to space 61 can be controlled to regulate the quantity of catalyst admitted to the catalyst annulus 66 and the air supplied to the inner and outer air annuli can be controlled to regulate the velocity of the material conveying through the air lift conduit in order to reduce attrition to a minimum.

It should be understood that the present invention is notdirected to usual pneumatic conveying apparatus but is concerned with the continuous movement of catalyst or contact material from the engager 10 to the disengager 14 in such a manner that the catalyst or contact material is raised to the disengager 14 with the smallest degree of frictional contact of the catalyst or contact material with itself or with the lifting apparatus.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for elevating granular material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit having its lower open end extending through the top of said lower chamber to be positioned therein and its upper end extending into the upper chamber, a fluid conduit extending through the bottom of the lower chamber and having its outlet end positioned within the lower end of the elevating conduit in spaced relation therewith,

a sleeve extending through the app end of the lo wer chamber concentric with and in sp d relation with the elevating conduit,- said sleeve having its upper end closed and its lower portion positioned below the lower end of the elevating conduit, saidrlower portion of the sleeve extending inwardly toward said fluid conduit and then upwardly in spaced relation witnthe up er end of the fluid conduit roviding an annulustherewith, which is in communication with the granular material and providing also an outer annular fluid space with the elevating conduit which is adjacent said annulus, a deflecting member within the outlet end of the fluid conduit providing an inner annular fluid space adjacent said annulus, means within the body of granular material for supplying fluid pressure thereto to force the material upwardly into said annulus and means for supplying fluid to the inner and outer annular spaces to pick up the granular material from said annulus and move it into and upwardly through the elevating conduit to the upper chamber.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized by having the lower portion of the elevating conduit tapered upwardly from its lower end and having the deflecting member elongated with a tapered upper end extending a relatively short distance into the lower portion of the elevating conduit.

3. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit member having its lower portion extending through the top of said lower chamber to have an inlet end positioned therewithin and its upper end communicating with the upper chamber, a sleeve member extending through the upper end of the lower chamber positioned about the elevating conduit member concentric and in spaced relation therewith, said sleeve member having an upper closed end and a lower open end, an upturned flange on one of said members providing an annular fluid space within the inlet end of the elevating conduit member, a fluid conduit extending through the bottom of the lower chamber and having its outlet end positioned within said upturned flange providing therebetween a contact material annulus which is in communication with the body of material, means for supplying fluid pressure to the body of material to force it upwardly into said contact material annulus, means for supplying other fluid to said fluid conduit and other means for supplying fluid to said annular fluid space to pick up the contact material from the said contact material annulus and move it into and upwardly through the elevating conduit to the upper chamber.

4. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit member having its lower portion extending through the top of said lower chamber to have an inlet end positioned therewithin and its upper end communicating with the upper chamber, a sleeve member positioned about the elevating conduit member concentric and in spaced relation therewith, said sleeve member having an upper closed end and a lower open end, an upturned flange on one of said members providing an annular fluid space within the inlet end of the elevating conduit member, a fluid conduit extending into the lower chamber and having its outlet end positioned within said upturned flange providing therebetween a contact material annulus which is in communication with the body of material, means for supplying fluid pressure to the body of material to force it upwardly into said contact material annulus, means for supplying fluid to said fluid conduit and other means for supplying fluid to said annular fluid space to pick up the contact material from the said contact material annulus and move it into and upwardly through the elevating conduit to the upper chamber.

5; Apparatus aecerding to claim 4' wherein said means for supplying fluid pressure are at a level at least substantially as high as the lower end of ,said contact material annulus. I I p 6. A paratnsaeeerding to claim 4 wherein said upturned flange is on said sleeve member.

7 Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said upturned flange is on'said elevating conduit member.

8. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit member having its lower portion extending through the top of said lower chamber to have an inlet end positioned therewithin and its upper end communicating with the upper chamber, a sleeve member positioned about the elevating conduit member concentric and in spaced relation therewithsaid sleeve member having an upper closed end and a lower open end, an upturned flange on one of said members providing an outer annular fluid space within the inlet end of the elevating conduit member, a fluid conduit extending into the lower chamber and having its outlet end positioned within said upturned flange providing therebetween a contact material annulus which is in communication with the bed of material, deflecting means within the outlet end of the fluid conduit providing an inner annular fluid space, means for supplying fluid pressure to the body of material to force it upwardly into said contact material annulus, means for supplying fluid to said fluid conduit for passage through the inner annular fluid space and other means for supplying fluid to said outer annular fluid space to pick up the contact material from the said contact material annulus and move it into and upwardly through the elevating conduit to the upper chamber.

9. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit member having its lower portion extending through the top of said lower chamber to have an inlet end positioned therewithin and its upper end communicating with the upper chamber, upright conduit means providing an annular passageway communicating at its lower end with said body of material and at its upper end with the interior of said elevating conduit, means for conveying material from said body of material upwardly into and through said annular passageway and upwardly from the upper end thereof as an annular stream, and means for directing streams of lifting gas, respectively inside and outside said annular stream of material, into the lower end of said elevating conduit and upwardly therethrough.

10. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower chamber containing a body of the material to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit member having its lower portion extending through the top of said lower chamber to have an inlet end positioned therewithin and its upper end communicating with the upper chamber, upright conduit means providing an annular passageway surrounding a central passageway, said annular passageway communicating at its lower end with said body of material and at its upper end with the interior of said elevating conduit, means for conveying material from said body of material upwardly into and through said annular passageway and upwardly from the upper end thereof as an annular stream, means for conveying lifting gas upwardly as a separate stream through said central passageway to the upper end or" said annular passageway and thence into contact with material issuing from said annular passageway and upwardly through said elevating conduit, and means for conveying lifting gas upwardly as a second separate stream through a second annular passageway surrounding the first-named annular passageway to the upper end of said annular passageway 7 and thence into contact with contact material issuing from 528,418 said first-named annular passageway and upwardly 850,639 through said elevating conduit. 2,587,669 1 2,662,796 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,014 528,417 Duckharn Oct. 30, 1894 180,397

8 Duckham Oct. 30, 1894 Gebhardt Apr. 16, 1907 Weinrich Mar. 4, 1952 Shabaker Dec. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Sept. 1, 1919 Great Britain May 11, 1922 

1. APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM A LOWER CHAMBER CONTAINING A BODY OF THE MATERIAL TO AN UPPER CHAMBER WHICH COMPRISES AN UPRIGHT ELEVATING CONDUIT HAVING ITS LOWER OPEN END EXTENDING THROUGH THE TOP OF SAID LOWER CHAMBER TO BE POSITIONED THEREIN AND ITS UPPER END EXTENDING INTO THE UPPER CHAMBER, A FLUID CONDUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWER CHAMBER AND HAVING ITS OUTLET POSITIONED WITHIN THE LOWER END OF THE ELEVATING CONDUIT IN SPACED RELATION THEREWITH, A SLEEVE EXTENDING THROUGH THE UPPER END OF THE LOWER CHAMBER CONCENTRIC WITH AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT, SAID SLEEVE HAVING ITS UPPER END CLOSED AND ITS LOWER PORTION POSITIONED BELOW THE LOWER END OF THE ELEVATING CONDUIT, SAID LOWER PORTION OF THE SLEEVE EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD SAID FLUID CONDUIT AND THEN UPWARDLY IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE FLUID CONDUIT PROVIDING AN ANNULUS THEREWITH, WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AND PROVIDING ALSO AN OUTER ANNULAR FLUID SPACE WITH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT WHICH IS ADJACENT SAID ANNULUS, A DEFLECTING MEMBER WITHIN THE OUTLET END OF THE FLUID CONDUIT PROVIDING AN INNER ANNULAR FLUID SPACE ADJACENT SAID ANNULUS MEANS WITHIN THE BODY OF GRANULAR MATERIAL FOR SUPPLYING FLUID PRESSURE THERETO TO FORCE THE MATERIAL UPWARDLY INTO SAID ANNULUS AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO THE INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR SPACES TO PICK UP THE GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM SAID ANNULUS AND MOVE IT INTO AND UPWARDLY THROUGH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT TO THE UPPER CHAMBER. 